Inscription-frame for monuments.



Patented Mar. I8, |902. T. B. WHITE.

INSCRIPTION FRAME FOR MONUMENTS.

(Application filed Apr. 4. 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I lilllllllmf III .Il

No. 695,774. Patented Mar. I8, |902. T. B. WHITE.

INSCRIPTION FRAME FOR MONUMENTS.

(Appllcatwn d Apr. 4. 1901.)

Jttorney STATES TIIOM-AS BENTON IVHITE,

OF W'ARSAV, MISSOURI.

INSCRIPTION-FAVIE FOR MONUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming* part 0f Lettel Patent N0. 695,774, dated March I8, 1902.

Application tiled April 4, 1901. Seria1No.54,276. (No model.)

T0 all wwnt it Nul/y concern: i

Be it known that LTHoMAs BENTON WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warsaw, in the county of Benton and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Inscription-Frame for Monuments, of which the following is a specilcation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to inscription-frames for monuments and the like, the object in view being to provide an incasing frame for inscriptions, photographs, memoranda, &c., which frame is so constructed as to hermetically seal the contents and is provided with means whereby it may be applied to monuments and the like whether constructed of stone or a metallic casing with a composite or other illing.

One of the objects of the invention is to so construct the frame and inscription-holder that the said holder will be rendered weatherprooi` and also free from the injurious effects produced by severe and sudden climatic changes.

Another important object of the invention is to provide in connection with the inscription-holding frame a door which closes the front ofthe frame and conceals the inscription and the holder therefor, which door is mounted and inclosed within the frame in such manner that while it may be readily opened for inspecting the inscription when closed the said door will be held in such manner as to prevent the same from rattling or opening accidentally.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view, which will appear more fully as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed. e

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a monument comprising an outer metallic casing with a composite filling, showing the inscription-frame applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the inscription-frame and a portion of the monument. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the inscription-frame. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the inscription-holder. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner of applying the inscription-holder to a monument of stone, granite, or other material in the form of a solid. Fig. t is a detail sectional view through the upperportion ofsuch monument, showing the means for securing the inscription-frame thereto.

Similar numeralsof reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

In Figure l of the drawings I have illustrated a monument or tombstone comprising an outer metallic shell or casing l, provided with any suitable form of base 2 and cap 3, the said outer casing or shell being usually provided with a composite iilling4 of cement or analogous material, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to receive the inscription -frame which is illustrated at 5, the outer shell or casing of the monument or tombstone is oset inwardly, as shown at 6, to provide a recess 7 of a size and shape commensurate with the outer contour of the inscription-frame and the said outer shell or casing is further provided at suitable points, preferably adjacent to the corners of the inscription-frame, with inlaid blocks 8, which are adapted to receive screws 9, by means of which the frame 5 is secured to the monument.

The inscription-frame, which for convenience of illustration is shown as of rectangular form, comprises a continuous body l0, composed of side and end bars, and the opposite side bars, as Well as the opposite end bars, are set at reverse inclinations to each other in order to provide reversely-inclined inner surfaces 11, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The outer surface of the frame is also inclined or oblique, as illustrated at 12, in order to adapt the same to fit snugly within the recess 7, the opposite side and end walls of which are pitched at a corresponding inclination, as clearly shown. The inscription-frame is provided at a point intermediate its front and rear edges with a continuous internal stop-bead 13, forming at one side a seat for the inscription holder. The inscription-holder is composed, essentially, of two parallel plates l-t and l5, the front plate l5 being of transparent material, such as glass, so as to enable the inscription- IOO sheet 16 to be inspected from the front of the frame. rIhe inscription-sheet 16 is interposed between and held flat by the plates 14 and 15, and said inscription-sheet may have represented thereon any desired data, pictures,

photographs, and the like. Before insert-ing the inscription -holder into the frame 5 a binder 17, of weatherproof material, such as tin-foil, is' placed around theV edges of the plates 14 and 15 and caused to adhere thereto by means of an adhesive coating applied to the inner surface of the binder, said coating being preferably composed of moistureproof cement. A cushion 1S, of asbestos wool or mineral fiber, surrounds the inscriptionholder and is interposed between the edges of the holder and the inner surface of the frame 5, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, a portion of such material forming the cushion being also interposed between the stop-bead 13 and the edge portions of the holder. After placing the cushion in position a layer 19, of air-proof and flexible adhesive cement, is applied over thevcushion and around the edges of the plate 14, the said cement being of a nature which will adapt it to remain plastic and fiexible under all conditions of the atmosphere, so as not to pnlverize or crack by reason ofthe expansion and contraction of the metal of which the frame is composed.

The flexible cement may consist of asphalt.

or mineral tar or may be composed of mineral Wax or any substance of similar nature and properties, such as will' withstand the effects of cold without becoming brittle and which will not be reduced to a iiuid state in hot weather. The spaces at the edges of the holder are then hermetically sealed at both sides by means of weatherproof cement 19, which prevents the admission of moisture, &c. and also serves to securely retain the inscription-holder in place within the frame. In order to more eiectually guard against the -displacement of the inscription-holder, a retaining cross-bar 2O is extended behind the inscription-holder and has its opposite ends secured to the side bars of the frame in any convenient manner, as by soldering.

The inscription -holder hereinabove described is arranged at the inner side of the internal stop-bead 13. At the opposite or front side of said bead there is arranged a door 21, which is provided at or near its upper edge with oppositely-projecting pintles 22, preferably in the form of cylindricalheaded screws, which may be readily inserted through vertically-elongated slots 23 in the side bars of the inscription-frame, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. The pintles 22 serve as hinge-pins for the door and are capable of a limited amount of vertical play or sliding movement within the slots 23 of the inscription-frame 5. The door 21 is shaped to fit snugly Within the splayed front portion of the frame 5, and the lower free edge of the door is preferably beveled, as at 24, to engage with and ride upon the inclined inner -the monument.

surface 1l of the bottom bar of the frame, so that as lthe door is pushed inward at the bottom the free edge of the door engages the inclined surface 11 and serves to press the door upward, causing the pintles 22 to move upward in the slots 23 until the top edge of the door binds against the inner surface of the top bar of the frame. In this Way the door is frictonally held both at its top and loottom edges, thus preventing rattling of the door and accidental opening of the same. The door is provided near its lower edge with an operating-knob 25. The exposed surface of the aframe and door may be given any desired ornamental finish in the manner suggested in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated the manner of mounting the inscription-holder upon a stone or other solid monument without the necessity of forming a recess in the side of The means employed consist-s of a pair of supporting-standards 26, to Which the frame is secured by suitable fasteners 27. The standards are provided with oppositely-projecting feet 28, provided with openings for the reception of a pair of bolt-s 29, connected at their lower ends by means of a yoke 30, preferably in the form of a fiat plate, which is let into a dovetailedvmortise 31, formed in the top of the monument. The yokes 30 are inserted in the mortises provided therefor, and molten metal, such as lead, is then poured into the mortises so as to fill the same to a point flush, or substantially so, with'the upper surface of the monument. This metal when cool serves tesecurely anchor the yokes and bolts in place, and the feet 28 of the supporting-standards 26 are then secured upon the bolts by means of the retaining-nuts 32 or equivalent fastentening devices.

From the foregoing description it Will be seen that the inscription is hermeticallysealed within the inscription frame, so as to be proof against the effects of the elements, the inscription-sheet being thereby preserved indefinitely. It will also be seen that the inscription holder is normally protected by means of a gravity-door which has a hinged and sliding relation to the frame and which when closed is frictonally held within the inclosing frame, so as to prevent rattling and accidental opening'.

The inscription-frame may be applied either to a monument having an outer metallic casing with an inner composite lling or to solid monuments of stone, granite, and the like. In applying the inscription-frame to a metallic monument, as shown in Fig. 2,*in order to allow for the requisite amount of ventilation the lower portion of the frame is provided upon the inner surface with one or more lugs 33, which rest against the outer casing of the monument and serve to offset the lower portion of the frame, thereby allowing sufiicient space for the entrance of air. The upper and side portions or bars of the IOO IIO

frame are preferably lined upon their inner surfaces with strips of asbestos, as indicated at 34, so as to prevent moisture from obtaining access to the recess at such points.

While in the foregoing description I have stated that the front plate l5 of the inscription-holder is composed of glass or similar transparent material, it will be understood that both of the plates le and l5 may be composed of glass. I do not therefore desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinabove described, and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the coustruction Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

I. Aninscription-frameformonumentsand the like, comprising opposite side portions provided With vertical slots located at or near the top of the frame, a bottom sill having a sloping upper surface, and a door hinged at the top to the frame and having hinge-pintles at its upper corners mounted to slide in the slots, whereby the bottom edge of the door is adapted to Wedge and bind against the sill, substantially as described.

2. Aninscription-framefor monuments and the like, comprising oppositely-arranged top and bottom bars With reversely-inclined inner surfaces, in combination with a door mounted with a Wedging fit between and adapted to cooperate With said inclined surfaces andhaving a hinged and limited vertical sliding engagement with the frame.

An inscription-frame for monuments and the like, comprising a continuous internal bead, an inclosed door at one side of the bead, an inclosed inscription-holder at the opposite side of the bead consisting of parallel plates one of which is transparent, a Weatherproof binder uniting said plates, a cushion surrounding the holder, a layer offlexible cement arranged next to the cushion,a seal of Weatherproof cement incasing the cushion, fieXible cement and edges of the holder, andaholderretaining cross bar connected to opposite parts of the frame.

4. An inscription-frame for monuments and the like, comprising a continuous internal bead, a door inclosed by the frame at one side of the bead, an inscription-holder inclosed by the frame at the oppositeside of the bead consisting of transparent parallel plates, a Weatherproof binder strip uniting all the edges of said plates, a cushion of mineral fiber surrounding the edges of the holder, a layer of flexible cement arranged next to the cushion and serving to inclose the same, and a seal of weatherproof cement covering the eXible cement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twovvitnesses.

THOMAS BENTON WHITE.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. R. FRANCIS, M. L. SUN-IERLAND. 

